Rodney Smith was elected chairman of the Progressive Labour Party's (PLP) Warwick North (East Branch) at a meeting on Tuesday night.

Other branch officers are due to be selected at a meeting scheduled for April 17. Mr. Smith could not be reached for comment. According to PLP backbencher Dale Butler, just eight people showed up at Tuesday's meeting, but Mr. Smith - a long time friend of his - plans to grow the new branch to about 50 people.

Mr. Butler has been canvassing the area for the past three months, after being given the go ahead by the Warwick branch. But changes in the party's organisational structure made that decision null and void.

The party has changed its constitution to require as many branches as there are constituencies, meaning it has to disband the current nine parish based branches and set up 36 new ones.

Candidates will be recommended to the candidates selection committee by the new branches, and will have to be approved by the Central Committee.

Mr. Butler, who had earlier this week expressed some anxiety about the process, was a lot calmer on Wednesday.

"It's a bureaucratic process and the rules are in place," he said. "I have to respect the rules."

But he said he will not pause his campaign in Warwick North East until candidates are formally selected.

"I will continue to be on the doorstep because if I wait I will never be on the doorstep."

Party chairman Neville Tyrell did not return phone calls yesterday.